Optical Unit

Abstract

To easily form a configuration that moves a movable body including an optical module in a plurality of directions with respect to a stationary body.SOLUTION: An optical unit 10 comprises: a movable body 14 that includes an optical module 12; a stationary body 16; a support mechanism 100 that supports the movable body 14 with respect to the stationary body 16; and a driving mechanism 18 that moves the movable body 14 with respect to the stationary body 16. The support mechanism 100 has an arc surface 141 that is formed on the movable body 14, a plurality of spherical bodies 101 that are provided at positions in contact with the arc surface 141, and spherical body support parts 106 that are provided on the stationary body 16 in correspondence with the plurality of spherical bodies 101 and support the spherical bodies 101. The spherical body support parts 106 are each configured to rotatably support the spherical body with three or more spherical supporting bodies 102 provided at positions opposite to the arc surface 141.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an optical unit. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, optical units have been used that include a movable body having an optical module, a fixed body, a support mechanism that supports the movable body so that it can move in multiple directions relative to the fixed body, and a drive mechanism that moves the movable body supported by the support mechanism relative to the fixed body. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a lens drive device that includes a movable body having a lens, a fixed body, a first frame that supports the movable body so that it can rotate in multiple directions relative to the fixed body, and a coil and a magnet that move the movable body supported by the first frame relative to the fixed body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-52415 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in a conventional optical unit in which a movable body can be moved in multiple directions relative to a fixed body, such as the lens driving device of Patent Document 1, the configuration tends to be complicated. In particular, in an optical unit in which a movable body can be rotated relative to a fixed body about three rotation axes, namely a rolling axis, a yawing axis, and a pitching axis, the configuration tends to be complicated. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to easily form a configuration in which a movable body equipped with an optical module can be moved in multiple directions relative to a fixed body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The optical unit of the present invention comprises a movable body having an optical module, a fixed body, a support mechanism that supports the movable body so that it can be moved in multiple directions relative to the fixed body, and a drive mechanism that moves the movable body supported by the support mechanism relative to the fixed body, wherein the support mechanism has an arc surface formed on one of the movable body and the fixed body in an opposing region where the movable body and the fixed body face each other on one side of the optical axis direction of the optical module, a plurality of spheres provided in the opposing region at a position that contacts the arc surface, and a sphere support portion provided on the other of the movable body and the fixed body in the opposing region and supporting the spheres provided corresponding to each of the plurality of spheres, and the sphere support portion is configured to rotatably support the spheres with three or more spherical support bodies provided at a position that faces the arc surface.

[0006] According to this aspect, a support mechanism with a simple configuration can be provided in which a plurality of spheres are supported by a sphere support section that rotatably supports the spheres with three or more spherical supports, and the spheres are brought into contact with an arc surface formed on one of the movable body and the fixed body. Therefore, a configuration can be easily formed in which the movable body equipped with the optical module can be moved in a plurality of directions relative to the fixed body.

[0007] In the optical unit of the present invention, the driving mechanism may have a magnet in the facing region and a coil facing the magnet, and the magnet and the coil may be arranged parallel to the tangent of the arc surface. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the gap between the magnet and the coil from becoming larger when the movable body moves to one side than when the movable body moves to the other side as the movable body moves relative to the fixed body, resulting in a decrease in driving efficiency. In addition, since the magnet and the coil are configured to be inclined in both the optical axis direction and the direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction, it is possible to prevent the device from becoming large in size in both the optical axis direction and the direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction.

[0008] In the optical unit of the present invention, a magnetic body can be arranged on an extension line of a position facing the magnet. With such a configuration, a magnetic spring can be formed by the magnet and the magnetic body, and it is possible to easily return the position of the movable body to the origin with respect to the position of the fixed body.

[0009] In the optical unit of the present invention, even when the other side of the optical module in the optical axis direction is facing downward, the movable body does not fall onto the fixed body due to the magnetic force between the magnet and the magnetic body. With this configuration, when the other side of the optical module in the optical axis direction is facing downward, it is possible to prevent the movable body from falling onto the fixed body and colliding with it, thereby preventing damage to the movable body or the fixed body.

[0010] In the optical unit of the present invention, the fixed body may be configured to include a restricting portion on the other side in the optical axis direction of the optical module, which restricts movement of the movable body toward the other side. With this configuration, it is possible to effectively prevent the movable body from being damaged due to, for example, the movable body coming off the fixed body and falling.

[0011] In the optical unit of the present invention, the sphere can be configured not to come off the sphere support part even when the movable body is in the restricted position by the restricting part. With such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the sphere from coming off the sphere support part and being lost when the movable body moves to the restricted position.

[0012] In the optical unit of the present invention, the frictional force between the sphere and the arcuate surface can be greater than the frictional force between the sphere and the sphere support portion, thereby effectively reducing the load on the drive mechanism.

[0013] In the optical unit of the present invention, the driving mechanism includes a rolling driving mechanism for moving the movable body relative to the fixed body with the optical axis direction as a rotation axis, a yawing driving mechanism for moving the movable body relative to the fixed body with a direction intersecting the optical axis direction as a rotation axis, and a pitching driving mechanism for moving the movable body relative to the fixed body with a direction intersecting with the rotation axis of the rolling driving mechanism and the rotation axis of the yawing driving mechanism as a rotation axis, and the wiring board of the optical unit can be arranged in the widest gap among the gaps between the rolling driving mechanism, the yawing driving mechanism, and the pitching driving mechanism. With this configuration, the optical unit can be configured to be rotatable about three rotation axes, namely the rolling axis, the yawing axis, and the pitching axis, and the risk of the wiring board interfering with the movement of the movable body relative to the fixed body can be reduced. Effect of the Invention

[0014] The optical unit of the present invention can easily be configured to move the movable body having the optical module in a plurality of directions relative to the fixed body. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a plan view of an optical unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an optical unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of an optical unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of an optical unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, seen from a different direction than FIG. 3. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating a state in which a fixing body is removed in an optical unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a rear view showing a state in which a fixing body is removed in the optical unit according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7]FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a sphere and a sphere support in an optical unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, an optical unit according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 7. In Fig. 2, the dashed line with the symbol L indicates the optical axis. The R direction is the direction around the optical axis. In each drawing, the Z axis direction is the optical axis direction and the rolling axis direction. The X axis direction is the direction intersecting with the optical axis, in other words, the yawing axis direction. The Y axis direction is the direction intersecting with the optical axis, in other words, the pitching axis direction. Here, in the X axis direction, Y axis direction, and Z axis direction, the direction in which the arrows point is the + direction, and the opposite direction is the - direction.

[0017] <Overall configuration of the optical unit> An outline of the configuration of an optical unit 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 4. As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the optical unit 10 includes a movable body 14 having an optical module 12, and a fixed body 16 that holds the movable body 14 in a state in which the movable body 14 can be displaced in a direction around the X-axis direction as the rotation axis (yawing direction), a direction around the Y-axis direction as the rotation axis (pitching direction), and a direction around the Z-axis direction as the rotation axis (rolling direction). The optical unit 10 also includes a drive mechanism 18 that drives (rotates) the movable body 14 in the yawing direction, pitching direction, and rolling direction relative to the fixed body 16, and a support mechanism 100 that supports the movable body 14 rotatably in the pitching direction and yawing direction relative to the fixed body 16.

[0018] <Optical module> In this embodiment, the optical module 12 is formed in an imaging unit 14A having a substantially rectangular housing shape, and is used as a thin camera mounted on a camera-equipped mobile phone, a tablet PC, or the like. The optical module 12 has a lens 12a on the subject side (+Z direction side), and an optical device for capturing an image is built into a rectangular housing 12b. As an example, the optical module 12 in this embodiment has a built-in actuator that corrects pitching vibration (vibration in a rotation direction about the Y-axis direction as the rotation axis), yawing vibration (vibration in a rotation direction about the X-axis direction as the rotation axis), and rolling vibration (vibration in a rotation direction about the Z-axis direction as the rotation axis) that occurs in the optical module 12, and is configured to be able to correct pitching vibration, yawing vibration, and rolling vibration.

[0019] <About the moving body> As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the movable body 14 includes an imaging unit 14A having an optical module 12 and an imaging element 50, and a holder frame 14B in which a magnet 24A is attached to a magnet attachment portion 29A, a magnet 24B is attached to a magnet attachment portion 29B, and a magnet 24C is attached to a magnet attachment portion 29C. The holder frame 14B is configured as a frame-like member that is provided so as to surround the remaining four faces excluding the front face (the face on the subject side) on which the lens 12a of the optical module 12 is provided and the central portion of the rear face on the opposite side. The holder frame 14B of this embodiment is configured, as an example, so that the optical module 12 can be detachably attached. The holder frame 14B has an arcuate surface 141 on the rear face, and the arcuate surface 141 is supported by a sphere 101 of a support mechanism 100 described later. Here, the "arcuate surface" refers to a surface that corresponds to at least a part of the surface of a sphere.

[0020] Magnet 24A is adhered to yoke 26A which is a flat iron plate, magnet 24B is adhered to yoke 26B which is a flat iron plate, and magnet 24C is adhered to yoke 26C which is a flat iron plate. Magnet 24A is fixed to holder frame 14B by fixing yoke 26A to holder frame 14B, magnet 24B is fixed to holder frame 14B by fixing yoke 26B to holder frame 14B, and magnet 24C is fixed to holder frame 14B by fixing yoke 26C to holder frame 14B.

[0021] <About the fixed body> 3 and 4, the fixed body 16 includes a fixed frame 16A in which the coil 32A is attached to the coil attachment portion 28A, the coil 32B is attached to the coil attachment portion 28B, and the coil 32C is attached to the coil attachment portion 28C, and an upper surface portion 16B as a restricting portion that allows the lens 12a to pass in the +Z direction and restricts the movement of the movable body 14 so that the movable body 14 does not slip out of the fixed body 16 in the +Z direction. The fixed frame 16A is provided so as to surround four surfaces of the holder frame 14B of the movable body 14 in the direction around the optical axis (R direction).

[0022] Further, on an inner surface 161 of the fixed frame 16A, there are provided a support mechanism fixing part 25A for fixing the support mechanism 100A as the support mechanism 100, a support mechanism fixing part 25B for fixing the support mechanism 100B as the support mechanism 100, and a support mechanism fixing part 25C for fixing the support mechanism 100C as the support mechanism 100. In this embodiment, the coils 32A, 32B, and 32C are configured as wound coils as an example, but they may also be patterned boards (coil boards) in which the coils are incorporated as a pattern into the board wiring.

[0023] In this embodiment, when the movable body 14 is disposed in the fixed body 16, the magnet 24A and the coil 32A, the magnet 24B and the coil 32B, and the magnet 24C and the coil 32C face each other. In this embodiment, the pair of the magnet 24A and the coil 32A, the pair of the magnet 24B and the coil 32B, and the pair of the magnet 24C and the coil 32C constitute the drive mechanism 18. The pitching of the movable body 14 is corrected by the drive mechanism 18 consisting of the pair of the magnet 24A and the coil 32A. The yawing of the movable body 14 is corrected by the drive mechanism 18 consisting of the pair of the magnet 24B and the coil 32B. The rolling of the movable body 14 is corrected by the drive mechanism 18 consisting of the pair of the magnet 24C and the coil 32C. In the driving mechanism 18 of this embodiment, the magnets 24A, 24B, and 24C are formed on the movable body 14, and the coils 32A, 32B, and 32C are formed on the fixed body 16. However, the driving mechanism 18 may be configured such that the magnets 24A, 24B, and 24C are formed on the fixed body 16, and the coils 32A, 32B, and 32C are formed on the movable body 14.

[0024] Furthermore, pitching, yawing, and rolling are corrected as follows. When the optical unit 10 shakes in at least one of the pitching, yawing, and rolling directions, the shake is detected by a magnetic sensor (Hall element), and the drive mechanism 18 is driven based on the result. Alternatively, the shake of the optical unit 10 may be detected using a shake detection sensor (gyroscope) or the like. Based on the shake detection result, the drive mechanism 18 acts to correct the shake. That is, a current is passed through each of the coils 32A, 32B, and 32C so as to move the movable body 14 in a direction that cancels the shake of the optical unit 10, thereby correcting the shake.

[0025] As described above, the optical unit 10 of this embodiment includes a driving mechanism 18 that rotates the movable body 14 relative to the fixed body 16 around the pitching axis, the yawing axis, and the rolling axis as rotation axes. Here, the driving mechanism 18 is preferably disposed in a position other than the side (+X direction side) where the flexible wiring board 51 is disposed in the X-axis direction relative to the movable body 14. This is because the driving mechanism 18 can be disposed on the side where the flexible wiring board 51 is not formed, so that it is not necessary to make the optical unit 10 larger in order to suppress contact between the driving mechanism 18 and the flexible wiring board 51, and the optical unit 10 can be made smaller. Note that the term "rotation" in this specification does not necessarily mean a 360° rotation, but includes a case where the optical unit 10 oscillates in the rotation direction.

[0026] <Image sensor> 3 and 4, the optical module 12 includes an image sensor 50 on the side opposite to the subject side. A flexible wiring board 51 is connected to the image sensor 50. Here, the connection portion of the image sensor 50 to the flexible wiring board 51 in this embodiment is formed on the +X direction side.

[0027] <About flexible wiring boards> As described above, the optical unit 10 of this embodiment includes, as the drive mechanism 18, a pair of magnet 24C and coil 32C serving as a rolling drive mechanism for moving the movable body 14 relative to the fixed body 16 around the optical axis direction as the rotation axis, a pair of magnet 24A and coil 32A serving as a pitching drive mechanism for moving the movable body 14 relative to the fixed body 16 around a direction intersecting with the optical axis direction as the rotation axis, and a pair of magnet 24B and coil 32B serving as a yawing drive mechanism for moving the movable body 14 relative to the fixed body 16 around a direction intersecting with the rotation axis of the rolling drive mechanism and the rotation axis of the pitching drive mechanism. Here, the optical unit 10 of this embodiment is configured so that the flexible wiring board 51 of the optical unit 10 is disposed in the widest gap among the gaps between the rolling drive mechanism, the yawing drive mechanism, and the pitching drive mechanism. With this configuration, the optical unit 10 is configured to be rotatable about three rotational axes, namely the rolling axis, the yawing axis, and the pitching axis, and the risk of the flexible wiring board 51 interfering with the movement of the movable body 14 relative to the fixed body 16 is reduced.

[0028] <About the support mechanism> Next, the support mechanism 100 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 5 to 7 in addition to Figures 1 to 4. The optical unit 10 of this embodiment has three support mechanisms 100, namely, support mechanism 100A, support mechanism 100B, and support mechanism 100C, all of which have the same configuration.

[0029] 7, the support mechanism 100 has a disk-shaped metallic sheet metal member 103 having a circular large hole 105 in the center and three small holes 104 arranged at approximately equal intervals around the large hole 105 and adjacent to the large hole 105. The sheet metal member 103 is fixed to the support mechanism fixing part 25A, the support mechanism fixing part 25B and the support mechanism fixing part 25C shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, whereby the support mechanism 100 is fixed to the inner surface 161 of the fixed body 16. However, the support mechanism 100 may be fixed to the movable body 14 instead of the fixed body 16.

[0030] 7, the support mechanism 100 has spherical small balls 102 made of metal, which are welded one by one to each of the small holes 104. Since all three small balls 102 are fixed by welding to the small holes 104, they do not rotate relative to the sheet metal member 103. However, the small balls 102 may be configured to rotate relative to the sheet metal member 103.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 7, the support mechanism 100 includes a metal sphere 101 supported by three small spheres 102. That is, the small spheres 102 and the sheet metal member 103 form a sphere support part 106 that supports the sphere 101. The sphere 101 is supported by point contact with the small spheres 102, so that it can rotate with respect to the three small spheres 102 with low friction. As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the sphere 101 rotatably contacts the arc surface 141 of the holder frame 14B, so that it supports the movable body 14 movably with respect to the fixed body 16. The arc surface 141 can also be considered to constitute a part of the support mechanism 100. Since the sphere 101 is not fixed to the arc surface 141, the sphere 101 rotates as the movable body 14 moves. In this embodiment, the coefficient of friction between sphere 101 and arcuate surface 141 is greater than the coefficient of friction between sphere 101 and three small ball portions 102, but the opposite may also be true. Since support mechanism 100 is fixed to inner surface 161 of fixed frame 16A, arcuate surface 141 and inner surface 161 of fixed frame 16A are disposed in opposing positions, and arcuate surface 141 and inner surface 161 form opposing region 200.

[0032] Here, as shown in FIG. 5, the rotation center C of the arc surface 141 is located on the +Z direction side of the overall position of the movable body 14. With this configuration, the optical unit 10 can be formed thin in the Z axis direction. In addition, the subject side of the fixed frame 16A is open. Therefore, even if there is a design tolerance in the movable body 14 or the fixed body 16 or if the movable body 14 or the fixed body 16 undergoes, for example, thermal expansion, the movable body 14 can be released toward the subject side relative to the fixed body 16, and it is possible to prevent the movable body 14 from becoming unable to move (lock) relative to the fixed body 16.

[0033] 3 to 6, in the optical unit 10 of this embodiment, the magnetic body 27A is disposed outside the coil 32A, the magnetic body 27B is disposed outside the coil 32B, and the magnetic body 27C is disposed outside the coil 32C. Therefore, the pair of the magnet 24A and the magnetic body 27A, the pair of the magnet 24B and the magnetic body 27B, and the pair of the magnet 24C and the magnetic body 27C attract each other as magnetic springs, and the movable body 14 is attracted in the -Z direction relative to the fixed body 16. Therefore, even if the attitude of the optical unit 10 is changed, the state in which the circular arc surface 141 is supported by the sphere 101 is maintained.

[0034] However, if a strong impact is applied to the optical unit 10, there is a risk that the movable body 14 will move in the +Z direction relative to the fixed body 16. For this reason, an upper surface portion 16B is provided as a restricting portion to prevent the movable body 14 from slipping out of the fixed body 16 in the +Z direction. The position of the arc surface 141 when the movable body 14 moves in the +Z direction and is restricted by the upper surface portion 16B is represented as the dashed arc surface 141b in Fig. 5. Note that the solid arc surface 141a in Fig. 5 represents the position of the arc surface 141 when it is supported by the sphere 101. In the optical unit 10 of this embodiment, by adjusting the position of the upper surface portion 16B relative to the movable body 14 (more specifically, the distance between the two in the Z-axis direction), the diameter of the sphere 101, the diameter of the small sphere portion 102, and the support position of the sphere 101 by the small sphere portion 102, a configuration is achieved in which the sphere 101 does not move out of the support position by the small sphere portion 102 even when the arcuate surface 141 reaches the position of the arcuate surface 141b in Figure 5.

[0035] To summarize, the optical unit 10 of this embodiment includes a movable body 14 having an optical module 12, a fixed body 16, a support mechanism 100 that supports the movable body 14 so as to be movable in multiple directions relative to the fixed body 16, and a drive mechanism 18 that moves the movable body 14 supported by the support mechanism 100 relative to the fixed body 16. The support mechanism 100 is disposed in an opposing region 200 where the movable body 14 and the fixed body 16 oppose each other in the −Z direction, which is one side of the optical axis direction of the optical module 12. The support mechanism 100 also includes an arc surface 141 formed on the movable body 14, which is one of the movable body 14 and the fixed body 16, a plurality (three) of spheres 101 (spheres 101A, 101B, and 101C) provided in a position in contact with the arc surface 141 in the facing region 200, and a sphere support unit 106 provided in the fixed body 16, which is the other of the movable body 14 and the fixed body 16, in the facing region 200, and including small sphere units 102 that support the spheres 101 provided corresponding to each of the plurality of spheres 101. Here, the small sphere units 102 are three spherical supports provided in positions facing the arc surface 141, and are configured to rotatably support the spheres 101. The small sphere units 102 may be four or more spherical supports.

[0036] By configuring the support mechanism 100 in this way, it is possible to provide a support mechanism 100 with a simple configuration in which a plurality of spheres 101 are supported by a sphere support section that rotatably supports the spheres with three or more spherical supports, and the spheres 101 are brought into contact with the arc surface 141. Therefore, by configuring the support mechanism 100 in this way, it is possible to easily form a configuration in which the movable body 14 equipped with the optical module 12 is moved in multiple directions relative to the fixed body 16. It is also possible to configure the sphere 101 to be supported by a support such as a non-spherical protrusion, instead of the small sphere section 102 that is a spherical support. However, by supporting the sphere with a spherical support, it is possible to strengthen the resistance of the support, and to smoothly support the sphere 101 for rotation.

[0037] As described above, in the optical unit 10 of this embodiment, the driving mechanism 18 has the magnets 24A, 24B, and 24C in the facing region 200, and the coils 32A, 32B, and 32C at positions facing the magnets 24A, 24B, and 24C. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the magnets 24A, 24B, and 24C and the coils 32A, 32B, and 32C are all arranged parallel to the tangent of the arc surface 141. With this configuration, it is possible to suppress a decrease in driving efficiency due to a larger gap between the magnets 24A, 24B, and 24C and the coils 32A, 32B, and 32C when the movable body 14 moves relative to the fixed body 16 than when the movable body 14 moves to one side. Furthermore, since magnets 24A, 24B, and 24C and coils 32A, 32B, and 32C are tilted in both the optical axis direction (Z-axis direction) and the direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction (X-axis direction and Y-axis direction), it is possible to prevent the device from becoming larger in size both in the optical axis direction and the direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction.

[0038] As described above, the optical unit 10 of this embodiment has the magnetic bodies 27A, 27B, and 27C on the extension lines of the positions facing the magnets 24A, 24B, and 24C. With this configuration, the magnets 24A, 24B, and 24C and the magnetic bodies 27A, 27B, and 27C can form a magnetic spring, making it possible to easily return the position of the movable body 14 to the origin relative to the position of the fixed body 16.

[0039] As described above, in the optical unit 10 of this embodiment, even when the other side (+Z direction side) of the optical module 12 in the optical axis direction is directed downward, the magnetic force between the magnets 24A, 24B, and 24C and the magnetic bodies 27A, 27B, and 27C prevents the movable body 14 from falling against the fixed body 16. In other words, the magnetic force between the magnets 24A, 24B, and 24C and the magnetic bodies 27A, 27B, and 27C is stronger than the gravity associated with the weight of the movable body 14. With this configuration, the optical unit 10 of this embodiment prevents the movable body 14 from falling against and colliding with the fixed body 16 (upper surface portion 16B) and damaging the movable body 14 or the fixed body 16 when the other side of the optical module 12 in the optical axis direction is directed downward.

[0040] However, as described above, in preparation for a strong impact or the like, in the optical unit 10 of this embodiment, the fixed body 16 is provided with an upper surface portion 16B as a restricting portion that restricts movement of the movable body 14 toward the other side (+Z direction side) in the optical axis direction of the optical module 12. With this configuration, even when the optical unit 10 of this embodiment receives a strong impact or the like, the movable body 14 is effectively prevented from being damaged by, for example, the movable body 14 coming off the fixed body 16 and falling.

[0041] As described above, in optical unit 10 of this embodiment, sphere 101 is configured not to come off sphere support portion 106 even when movable body 14 is in the restricted position by upper surface portion 16B as represented by the dashed line in Fig. 5. With this configuration, optical unit 10 of this embodiment can prevent sphere 101 from coming off sphere support portion 106 and being lost when movable body 14 moves to the restricted position.

[0042] Furthermore, as described above, in optical unit 10 of this embodiment, the frictional force between sphere 101 and arcuate surface 141 is greater than the frictional force between sphere 101 and small sphere portion 102 of sphere support portion 106. With this configuration, optical unit 10 of this embodiment can effectively reduce the load on the drive mechanism.

[0043] The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and can be realized in various configurations without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the technical features in the embodiment corresponding to the technical features in each aspect described in the Summary of the Invention can be appropriately replaced or combined to solve some or all of the above-mentioned problems or to achieve some or all of the above-mentioned effects. Furthermore, if the technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be appropriately deleted. For example, in the optical unit 10 of this embodiment, the arc surface 141 is provided in the direction opposite to the subject side, but the arc surface 141 may be provided on the subject side. Also, for example, the opposite to this embodiment, the arc surface 141 may be provided on the fixed body 16, and the sphere support portion 106 may be provided in the facing region 200 of the movable body 14. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 10...optical unit, 12...optical module, 12a...lens, 12b...housing, 14...movable body, 14A...imaging unit, 14B...holder frame, 16...fixed body, 16A...fixed frame, 16B...upper surface, 18...driving mechanism, 24A...magnet, 24B...magnet, 24C...magnet, 25A...support mechanism fixing portion, 25B...support mechanism fixing portion, 25C...support mechanism fixing portion, 26A...yoke, 26B...yoke, 26C...yoke, 27A...magnetic body, 27B...magnetic body, 27C...magnetic body, 28A...coil mounting portion, 28B...coil mounting portion, 28C...coil a magnet mounting portion, 29A...magnet mounting portion, 29B...magnet mounting portion, 29C...magnet mounting portion, 32A...coil, 32B...coil, 32C...coil, 50...imaging element, 51...flexible wiring board, 100...support mechanism, 100A...support mechanism, 100B...support mechanism, 100C...support mechanism, 101...sphere, 102...small sphere portion (support), 103...sheet metal member, 104...small hole portion, 105...large hole portion, 106...sphere support portion, 141...circular surface, 141a...circular surface, 141b...circular surface, 161...inner surface, 200...opposing area, C...center of rotation, L...optical axis

Claims

1. a movable body including an optical module; A fixed body; a support mechanism that supports the movable body so as to be movable in a plurality of directions relative to the fixed body; a drive mechanism that moves the movable body supported by the support mechanism relative to the fixed body, The support mechanism includes: an arc surface formed on one of the movable body and the fixed body in an opposing region where the movable body and the fixed body oppose each other on one side in the optical axis direction of the optical module; A plurality of spheres are provided in the facing region at positions where the spheres contact the arcuate surface; a sphere support portion provided on the other of the movable body and the fixed body in the opposing region, the sphere support portion supporting the sphere provided corresponding to each of the plurality of spheres, the sphere support portion is configured to rotatably support the sphere using three or more spherical supports provided at positions opposite to the arc surface, the driving mechanism has a magnet in the facing region and a coil facing the magnet, the magnet and the coil are arranged parallel to a tangent to the arc surface; An optical unit comprising: a magnetic body on an extension of a position facing the magnet.

2. 2. The optical unit according to claim 1, An optical unit characterized in that even if the other side of the optical module in the optical axis direction is facing downward, the magnetic force between the magnet and the magnetic body prevents the movable body from falling relative to the fixed body.

3. 3. The optical unit according to claim 1, The optical unit according to claim 1, wherein the fixed body is provided with a restricting portion on the other side in the optical axis direction of the optical module, the restricting portion restricting movement of the movable body toward the other side.

4. 4. The optical unit according to claim 3, The optical unit is characterized in that the sphere is configured not to come off the sphere support portion even when the movable body is in a position restricted by the restricting portion.

5. 5. The optical unit according to claim 1, An optical unit, characterized in that a frictional force between the sphere and the arcuate surface is greater than a frictional force between the sphere and the sphere support portion.

6. 6. The optical unit according to claim 1, The drive mechanism includes a rolling drive mechanism that moves the movable body relative to the fixed body with the optical axis direction as a rotation axis, a yawing drive mechanism that moves the movable body relative to the fixed body with a direction intersecting the optical axis direction as a rotation axis, and a pitching drive mechanism that moves the movable body relative to the fixed body with a rotation axis intersecting both the rotation axis of the rolling drive mechanism and the rotation axis of the yawing drive mechanism, An optical unit, characterized in that a wiring board of the optical unit is disposed in the widest gap among the gaps between the rolling drive mechanism, the yawing drive mechanism, and the pitching drive mechanism.

Images